Week 34 Day 5 – God of the Nations

For centuries the people of Jerusalem had been told that they were the people of God, that the Temple was God’s earthly dwelling, and that God was the Lord Almighty, God above all gods. Now where was He? Were the Babylonian gods actually more powerful than Yahweh? Were the people actually just another nation among many that was doomed to extinction? Where was the hope?

The next two sections of Ezekiel answer this question. Today we will focus on the message in section two of Ezekiel (chs. 25-32) and all of next week will be devoted to the message of hope found in section three.

Chapters 25-32 are prophecies and laments concerning the nations surrounding Judah. These messages against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt can be summarized in the following paraphrase:

“You nations have observed the fall of Jerusalem. It may seem that the God of Jerusalem has been defeated. You may feel secure that you have been right all along and that your strength has prevailed over the Israelites. Let me remind you of something. I still love my people. They are my people and I am disciplining them right now. You however, have never been my people and you have rejected me from the beginning. Jerusalem may be down for a moment, but, rest assured, I will restore them and they will be glorious. Your fate is another story. I will judge you in the end. You may have won the battle, but Jerusalem will win the war!”

The take home, and the message of hope from this section is simple: God is the God of all nations and is in control of all events. As the children of God, it is our job to not allow the circumstances of our lives to dictate our feelings towards God. No matter how bleak the situation may seem, God is still on His throne. Remember, His throne has “wheels” (ch. 1)!